they sing for you, melody
by weasley-twins-41
Summary: *Spoilers for s6 e7* The Doctor and River's last night. Takes place on Darillium, with the Singing Towers. Oneshot. Angst. Doctor-Angst, specifically. Eleven/River and a bit of Amy/Rory


**STEVEN MOFFATT. IF YOU DO NOT SHOW US THIS SCENE I WILL HURT YOU. **

**By the way, guys, if River seems too Mary Sue-ish, just tell me. Plus, I'm going to assume for now that River has two hearts. Also, I now LOVE writing Eleven. He is, in my opinion, easier to write than Ten.**

The knocking echoed in the darkening night. One. Two. Three. Never four- four wasn't good. He waited, but no one answered. He knocked again, one-two-three, in rapid fashion.

"Hello, sweetie." A voice sounded from behind him, making him jump about a foot in the air. He turned, after hastily stifling the little scream that came from him.

A woman stood before him, leaning casually against the TARDIS door. Her haphazardly dirty blonde curly hair framed her face. A smile stretched across her lips, brightened by her startlingly green eyes.

"So you got my note, I suppose?" the Doctor asked her, a grin creeping across his face. She sauntered up to him.

"Indeed I did," River replied, still smirking. She seemed to glow in the half-light. River wore a TARDIS blue dress. The dress was sleeveless, with a daring neckline. Soft silk material was arranged in neat folds. The hem swept the ground lightly, her black shoes peeking out.

A shadow passed over the Doctor's face. She was beautiful, and that hurt. He was so lucky to have had her these past two hundred fifty years. The Doctor remembered that awful day in the Library, when he had lost her. He could not bear the thought of losing her again. He knew her expedition to the Library was going to happen soon, and that thought alone made his hearts ache.

"Something the matter, sweetie?" River asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No, dear, just thinking," the Doctor replied. He quickly slapped a smile onto his face.

"Ooh, dangerous! I hope I'm not the subject of your cryptic thoughts," River teased.

The Doctor and River laughed. "It's good to see you, River," the Doctor said quietly. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It felt good. It had been far too long since the last one.

"And you, my love," River said, before kissing him soundly again.

After a bit they pulled apart. The Doctor took River's hand and led her to the TARDIS, snapping his fingers as he went. The door flew open.

His face concealed, the Doctor let it fall. He cherished every moment he'd ever had with her, and those occurring at the present time. Every step sent an aching shockwave through his chest, shaking his hearts and leaving his knees weak.

"So, why have you decided to dress me up and kidnap me?" River demanded lightheartedly.

"I," the Doctor answered, "am going to be your dashing host for the night! Mark my words, Melody Pond- you are going to have the best night you have ever been privileged to have!"

In a way, the Doctor was rather dashing. He wore the same suit he had seen his future self wear his first night with River. The suit was top notch- jet black jacket, pants and top hat, and a white chest piece and bow tie.

"Darillium!" announced the Doctor, attempting cheerfulness. He let River's hand go, and rocketed up to the console, snapping the door shut. "One of my favorite places to travel, it has got these towers- three of them. They're a kilometer high and every sunrise and sunset they produce the most beautiful sound in the universe. They sing. Well, no, not really, they don't sing- they sort of hum." He was whirling around the console, toggling with knobs and flipping switches and pressing buttons. This was so in nature to his character that River smiled.

"That sounds lovely," River replied, sighing. She leaned against the metal bars next to the chair. River knew, instinctively, that her time with the Doctor was coming to an end. The last time River had seen him was at the crash of the Byzantium. It had deeply hurt her to look into his eyes, _her Doctor_, and have him barely know her. But this time was different- the TARDIS seemed to have taken him where he wanted to go. The Doctor held such knowledge in his eyes, and she could tell that he loved her more deeply than he ever had before.

Pulling herself out of her depressing thoughts, she suddenly remembered her expedition.

"Oh, Doctor, have I told you about my expedition yet?" River asked.

The Doctor froze. His back was to River, and every muscle of his being went still. His fingers clenched onto the rim of the TARDIS console. His shoulders shook slightly, and he clenched his teeth. The Doctor barely managed to say, "No, River, I don't believe you have." He sensed a smile in her voice as she began to explain.

"It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you know. Mister Lux approached me a while ago, asking if I wanted to accompany him and his team on an archaeologist's trip. The trip is to this massive library- it's the size of a planet. It has millions and millions of books- every book ever written. No one has been there in a century- it shut down for some unknown reason. Something happened and over 4000 people just disappeared without a trace, so we're going to see why."

The Doctor found himself getting more and more tense as she continued on. His hearts plummeted into his stomach- it felt like they were being burned through with acid. A lump blocked his throat, and the all-too-familiar burning of tears took its place in his eyes. He hadn't felt this way since he'd lost Amy and Rory forever. The Doctor's knuckles were pale white- they held on to the rim of the TARDIS console for dear life. He shook slightly. He _could not_ take this. He had to do _something_. He couldn't stand by and let her die.

The Doctor heard River's footsteps approaching him, but he did not turn.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" River asked gently. He seemed so very, very old, like he had seen too much. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to tell her, but he knew he couldn't. It would rip a hole in the space-time continuum, and in their timelines, causing them to never have met. He had to lie.

"No, dear, nothing's wrong." The Doctor managed to say. He relaxed, smiled, and looked into her eyes- her green, green eyes. How he loved River! He lived for the days he saw her, just as she did. He knew those golden days were running short.

"When do you leave?" he asked tentatively, dreading her answer.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

_Four days on a rocket ship,_ he remembered. His beloved River had five days to live.

_Five days._

"Doctor, I _know_ something's wrong with you. Please tell me." The Doctor had sunk back into himself again- the shaking, the lump in his throat, the watery eyes.

"I'm fine."

"Rule one: the Doctor lies."

"You'll just have to trust me."

"How can I?"

"You must, River, please. You must." The Doctor pleaded. Then, unbidden, the images filled his head- _waking up to see River wiring herself in, her insistent pleas to let her do this, her face –"Spoilers" as she cried and connected the wires, the blinding white light that seared his eyelids, causing him to turn away in pain, the empty seat he found when the light faded, and finally the tears that came so easily as the crippling grief set in to kill-_

The Doctor remembered.

He clenched his teeth and pushed the images harshly away.

After a few seconds, the Doctor miraculously regained his composure, giving River a genuine grin and quirk of the eyebrows. His cheerful attitude was back.

The TARDIS made the familiar noise, signaling that they had finished their journey. The TARDIS was on Darillium.

The Doctor leaped up from his seat, absolutely quivering with excitement and anticipation. River grinned- she loved seeing this side of him; this playful, childlike persona that she loved so much. He was so much more carefree and innocent and youthful, completely devoid of the old man inside him.

"Well, Miss River Song, are you ready to hear the most beautiful melody in the universe?"

"Indeed I am," River replied. She noticed the subtle allusion to her name and grinned.

The Doctor held out his hand, and River took it. He snapped with his free hand and the TARDIS door flew open.

Instantly, an unearthly sound filled the air. The sound was impossible to describe. It lifted your heart, while at the same time taking it down and crushing it. It made you want to weep and laugh at the same time. It was a paradox in itself- such beauty should not exist.

River gasped as all of these feelings hit her. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes.

"Oh, that's nothing," the Doctor said gently, squeezing her hand and leading her out of the TARDIS. "Just wait until we get closer."

River was completely mute as the Doctor led her across the fields of Darillium. Every time they crested a hill, the music swelled, and her hearts strained, struggling not to break. As they ascended the last gentle, sloping hill and sat on the soft grass, the source of the beautiful music was revealed.

The Singing Towers of Darillium were breathtaking. The three towers stood solemnly offshore, around a hundred yards away. The sun was just setting, and it hit the towers in such a way, the edges shone with white light. The towers themselves were made of a clear blue-white crystal. They glowed from within, a unique spectacle that is not repeated anywhere else in the universe.

River found that she had become extremely sad and melancholy. She looked over to the Doctor, and was startled to see that he had tears running down his cheeks. He was shaking again, like he had been in the TARDIS, and was barely suppressing sobs.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? And don't try to fool me again," River said, putting a hand on his face. She wiped some tears away.

He simply shook his head, pressing his lips together. The Doctor's hand was clenched into a fist, squeezing the life out of some grass. Then he seemed to break, letting go of everything and closing his eyes. Tiny sobs burst from him erratically, barely there. Concern filled River- she had rarely ever seen him utterly let go like this. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he collapsed, turning into her and holding her tight.

They stayed like that for minutes, or maybe hours, or maybe weeks or months or years- there was no comprehension of time. All the while, the unearthly music played as the Doctor held River like a lifeline, crying silently like a child. River rubbed his back, startled and a little scared by his deep anguish. She hadn't the foggiest idea of what could make him so deeply sad and grieving.

The Doctor held onto River like a lifeline. He tried vainly to regain control, even a speck of order, but failed miserably. He had no idea that any being in the universe could hurt this much- human, Time Lord, Slitheen, Ood or otherwise. The complete and utter grief was tearing him apart slowly, atom by atom. His beloved River had five days to live. _Five days._ Five days until the blasted Library took her life. Five days until his past self watched her die. _Five days._

The Doctor eventually regained a considerable amount of self-control. The sobs stopped, and so did the tears, though they lingered in his eyes. He pulled away from River, embarrassed that he had lost control. He rubbed his face, sighing. _'Oh, you old fool. You silly, silly fool," _he thought. Then he remembered.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a rectangular box. It was TARDIS blue. Handing it to River, he said, "Miss Melody Pond, this is for you."

Still startled by his little episode, she took the box gingerly. River slid her fingers across the soft velvet surface. Gripping the edges, she opened the box.

To her surprise, a sonic screwdriver laid in the velvet folds of the box. It was tipped with blue, and had a ring to hold her finger. It was covered with brown plastic that was fitted to the exterior.

"Why are you giving me this?"

Again, the Doctor did not reply. He shook his head, a tiny grin finally appearing on his face. "Spoilers," he said finally.

River sighed. He was so impeccably stubborn! But that was one of the reasons she loved him so. She placed the screwdriver back in its box and set it down beside her. The Doctor's fingers were cold as she clutched them in hers. The pair fell into silence, simply listening to the music made by the towers.

The companionable silence lingered for an hour or more. The sun set slowly on Darillium, so the time of their singing was prolonged. Just as before, the voiceless tune created conflicting emotions inside them both. For the Doctor, it was worse, seeing as his emotional state was currently more fragile than River's. As they listened a tear or two occasionally escaped his eyes.

At one point, the Doctor asked, "Do you know why they sing?"

"No."

"They sing for you, Melody."

River hadn't the foggiest idea what he meant by that, but she remained silent.

Finally, the sun disappeared from the horizon. The rays of light were rapidly disappearing, and the music was fading. The sheen on the edges of the towers was going away. With one last achingly high note, the music vanished completely.

A whoosh of breath escaped from the Doctor. River glanced over, concerned, but there were no more tears. He was looking straight at her, his green, green eyes staring directly into her soul. He seemed to be drinking in her image, determined to burn her in his memory forever.

The Doctor didn't know River's thoughts, but that was exactly what he was doing. This was now the second time he had to stand by and let her die, absolutely helpless. This was most certainly the last time he would ever see her. No more running. No more getting rid of aliens, back to back.

No more of his Melody Pond.

He laced his fingers into hers, and pulled her up. Clutching the screwdriver box, River followed him.

They descended the hills in silence. The moon was just appearing in the sky, casting white light for their path.

The Doctor and River reached the TARDIS. Then, looking wearier than ever, he snapped his fingers, and they went inside.

The Doctor said nothing as he set the coordinates. He seemed like a crippled old man, staggering around the console.

River was really very concerned for him. She had never seen him this fragile, not since Amy and Rory… well, she had better not go there. But still, his ultimate grief frightened her.

As the familiar noise filled the console room, River relished it. She loved that noise, even though she had always tried to correct it.

"Miss Melody Pond," said the Doctor. He spoke in almost a whisper, his voice hushed. River turned to see him holding out his hand. She walked forward and took it.

The Doctor led her slowly to the TARDIS door. Oh, how he loved this woman! He resented himself for not doing more to save her. Yes, her consciousness had been literally saved into a hard drive, but it simply was not the same. With trembling fingers, he snapped and the door flew open.

They were back in front of River's house. It was still night- the moon hanging high overhead. They stepped out and closed the door behind them.

Suddenly a massive lump filled the Doctor's throat. He didn't want to cry; he knew it wouldn't fix anything, but it was going to happen anyway. He turned to face River, eyes burning.

"River Song, I love you with all my being." He hardly knew what to say, and these words seemed painfully inadequate.

"As do I, my love," River replied, looking up at him. Again it felt as if he were staring into her soul, her very being. But she did not recoil. She felt a sense of urgency about him, so he let him scan her.

Without warning, the Doctor leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers. Startled, but in no way reluctant, River replied with equal enthusiasm.

They stayed that way for a long while, until finally they had to breathe. The Doctor still held River's hands tightly, not wanting to ever let go. He gazed into her eyes, etching her into his memory again. He wanted to remember every little detail, right down to the crescents on her face as she smiled.

Knowing that it was time, River began to back away. As the light hit the Doctor's face, she could see that the tears had appeared in his eyes. "Please," she thought she heard him whisper, "I don't want you to…"

The expression on his face nearly broke her. Never before had she seen such anguish etched into a man's face. Her own tears started as she slowly slid her hands from his.

"Goodbye, my love," River whispered. The Doctor was backing through the TARDIS door.

"Goodbye, my darling River Song."

With one last look, she turned.

And she didn't look back.

The Doctor watched her silently until she disappeared into her house. Then, he plunged through the TARDIS doors. He closed them gently, his back against them, knees shaking.

Feeling so very old and so very weary, he trudged up the stairs to the console. Then, something broke.

The Doctor held onto the console and let go.

As he bowed his head over the controls, the tears came profusely, and with them, the storm.


End file.
